“Let Truth Spring Up from the Ground”: Truth’s Changing Role Throughout History

Natan Oliff explores the evolving role of truth throughout Tanakh and later Jewish history.

Antipodal Etrogim

Aaron Cohen surveys the fascinating literature surrounding antipodal etrogim.

When Synagogues Reopen, May the Congregation Permit a Bar Mitzvah Boy to Make Up...

When Synagogues Reopen, May the Congregation Permit a Bar Mitzvah Boy to Make Up His Torah Reading? Moshe Kurtz weighs in.

Revelation Deferred but not Denied: the Golden Calf as a Rabbinic Origin Story

Amitai Bin-Nun provides a fresh and intriguing perspective on the story of the Golden Calf by reading it in light of the Talmudic passage in Menahot detailing an encounter between Moses and R. Akiba on Mt. Sinai where God is tying crowns to the letters of the Torah scroll.

Is Silence Complicity?: An Analysis of Shtikah Ke-Hoda’ah from Classic Halakhah to Current Events

Moshe Kurtz explores the different meanings of silence in Halakhah in light of recent political events

Between “Reid” and Learning: Behag on Sefirat Ha-Omer

Tzvi Sinensky comments on the pitfalls of being overly dependent on the "Talmudic reid."

When Kaddish Becomes Currency: Mapping Out the Mechanics of Merit

Moshe Kurtz explores several halakhic questions concerning the recitation of kaddish for the deceased, all of which point to a larger discussion about how one can confer merit on someone else.

From Polemic to Pandemic: The Past, Present, and Future of Hazarat ha-Shatz

Post-pandemic proposals to omit hazarat ha-shatz on a permanent basis have been soundly rejected by halakhic authorities. Is this due exclusively to halakhic considerations, or are additional factors at play? Yosie Levine contends that Ashkenazic rabbinic opposition to 19th-century attempts to eliminate hazarat ha-shatz may still be shaping halakhic discourse today.

A “What If” Review: Hypothetical History, Science, and Halakhah

Yaakov Taubes examines three hypothetical “What if?” books and what they can teach us about history, science, and halakhah.

Sacred Training: Elevating the Hallowed Art of Healing 

Howard Apfel reviews Sacred Training: A Halakhic Guidebook for Medical Students and Residents.